The 1971 Idaho Vandals football team represented the University of Idaho in the 1971 NCAA University Division football season. The Vandals, led by second-year head coach Don Robbins, were members of the Big Sky Conference and played the final three of their five home games at the new Idaho Stadium, an outdoor facility on campus in Moscow, Idaho. The Vandals won their first outright conference title in 1971, which included an eight-game winning streak after opening with two losses. Idaho finished in the regular season and in the Big Sky. At the time, it was the best record in Notable games A third consecutive season opened without a home field, as the new Idaho Stadium was not quite finished and there was no suitable venue available on the Palouse. After the wooden Neale Stadium (1937) was condemned in August 1969, the Vandals played their limited schedule of Palouse home games at the wooden Rogers Field at WSU in nearby Pullman in 1969 and 1970. The primary (south) grandstand of Rogers burned in and was razed in 1971; in its footprint Martin Stadium was constructed and opened in The Vandals' season opener was a stunning 14–42 upset loss at Boise State in the first meeting between the two teams, creating an instant This was actually an Idaho "home game" moved south because the new stadium in Moscow was behind schedule and Boise State had been a junior college program through 1967, moved up to NAIA in 1968 as an independent, and joined the NCAA "college division" (Division II) and Big Sky played a home game every season in Boise in the old wooden Bronco Stadium through 1968; this ended when Boise State joined The Colorado State game on was played at Joe Albi Stadium in shut out the CSU Rams to begin their eight-game winning streak; the Rams' star running back was who was selected for multiple Pro Bowls while with the The new Idaho Stadium opened with a Vandal victory over Idaho State on The unlit outdoor concrete stadium in Moscow replaced Neale Stadium in the same footprint and continued with a natural the first game played on campus in nearly three years, the last was a win on was installed in 1972, and the facility was enclosed in 1975 to become the multi-purpose Kibbie Dome. After four consecutive road victories, the Vandals finished the 1971 season at home with